For some time now, we have been witnessing a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly popular among olive oil companies and mills, namely offering consumers the "Olio Novello" (so-called Verdone), which attracts attention for its bright color.
To obtain a particularly green oil, olives are harvested before the ripening process (invaiatura) has begun; this means that crushing these olives gives the oil an intense green color, mainly due to the high presence of chlorophyll.
All very nice, right?
Not exactly, because it must be said that oil extracted from olives that are too unripe, although at first glance with strong notes of fresh grass and pleasantly fruity, often loses these characteristics in a very short time.
But the main drawback is that such oils often have a feature that marks them negatively: they coat the mouth (astringency).
A quality oil, in fact, should persist in the mouth for only a few seconds, leaving a bitter/spicy aftertaste, without stressing the palate.
Most of these oils, beautiful to look at, would be soundly rejected if subjected to a Panel Test.
Also because color is a characteristic that is hidden from tasters, who in fact use blue glasses precisely so as not to be influenced by the color of the oil.